Grief and Loss Programs
- Service
- Grief and Loss Programs
- Duration
- 7 Weeks
- Available Locations
Download Paradise Kids 2013 Program Dates Here
Grief and Loss Support Groups are provided for children between 6 and 11 years of age. A program for parents or caregivers is run at the same time as the children’s group program. The 7-week programs are offered during each school term.
On the Gold Coast, a separate Grief Support Group for the 3-5 age group on Thursday mornings and a Play Therapy Group on Tuesday mornings for 2-5 year-olds are also available.
The program is fun and includes a mixture of art activities, storytelling, music, breath work and movement. Conducted in an atmosphere of peer support with trained counsellors and volunteer ‘buddies,’ the program is designed to help children express their stories and feelings about loss in a safe way.
The adult’s program incorporates sharing each other’s experiences and education in understanding the grief process and a child’s behaviour after loss. Adults also learn how to listen to their children and how to support children after a session.
The seven sessions of the program help children tell their stories and express their feelings about loss in a safe way through the following topics:
- Gaining understanding of the experience as a loss
- Tell the story
- Grieve the loss – feel the feelings
- Physically and creatively express feelings
- Complete unfinished business
- Commemorate and move on in life
- Claim a new sense of self and receive permission to move on in life
The Gold Coast Support Groups are held at Paradise Kids House at Arundel and the Brisbane Groups at Paradise Kids House, Greenslopes.
